Author Archives: Stephen Hufman

Unknown's avatar

About Stephen Hufman

A physician in Family Medicine for the last 35 years, now concentrating on writing and photography. My intention is to encourage and strengthen people in the Lord. In all things I hope to be pleasing to Jesus who has given me so much. The photography is all taken by me. I use a Canon 5D mark 3, and Canon G10.

Fears in Life

Posted on by
2
YNP2014-2666

When storm clouds roll in––

It is good to meditate upon the truth when things look unsettling.

The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1

For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
and set me high upon a rock. Psalm 27:5

I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:13-14

 

Looking Up in Prayer

Posted on by
Reply
SH-180122-522

Lifting hands to heaven

When I pray sometimes I catch myself going through a formula to determine how effective my prayer will be:

  • Have I been obedient for at least 48 hours?
  • Length of prayer is directly proportional to its effectiveness.
  • Fasting will really increase my chances for a favorable outcome to my petition.

It is funny how I think I can twist God’s arm by doing these things. Don’t get me wrong these spiritual disciplines are good to do, but they are not meant to leverage God––to get Him to do what we want. Instead they are disciplines that get us to a place of humility and dependence upon God.

I propose a different checklist to go through as you approach God with a request:

  • Does God’s love reach to the heaven’s and endure forever?  Psalm 36:5 √
  • Is His compassion new this morning?  Lamentations 3:22-23 √
  • Is God faithful in all that He does?  1 Corinthians 1:9 √

I must remember prayer is all about God, and not about me.

Extraordinary

Posted on by
2
SH_131003-7668_69_70_tonemapped

The sun shining through the trees…extraordinary!

O LORD make this an extraordinary day.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.  John 10:10

Jesus didn’t come to just save us from evil, He came to give us an abundant extraordinary life.

What makes for an extraordinary life? Living this day to the fullness of God’s blessing. What is God’s blessing? His love for us in Jesus Christ.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.  Eph. 1:3

Life is not about fame, or power, or fortune, but living in, and through, and by the love of God.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  Eph. 3:17-19

Stop for a moment an let the love God has for you build into a crescendo of joy. For one day of God’s blessing and love, at work in us, and through, and for us is worth a lifetime elsewhere.

Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;  Psalm 84:10

The Blessings of This Day

Posted on by
1
SHg3-171216-2312

Glow of a new day

O LORD bless this day with Your will and my Obedience.

“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” -Jesus, Luke 11:28

Pure as Snow

Posted on by
2
Snow drifts-360

Beautiful snow, a metaphor for life touched by God’s grace

“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD.
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Isaiah 1:18

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7

Peace Like a River

Posted on by
1
SH_170202-6376-Panoadj-Edit2-Edit

God’s peace touches our coldest day.

There is joy in watching someone you love have a good time.
There is sorrow in knowing someone you love is hurting.
There is peace in knowing Jesus loves them more than you.

Recognizing the Tree by Its Fruit

Posted on by
2
scenicF0020

An apple from an apple tree

Lest we become confused…

“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” Luke 6:43-45

My Hope

Posted on by
Reply
eight mile 25-26

Glorious View

Hope gives us life today because it assures us of God’s goodness for our tomorrows.

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, Hebrew 6:19

Our hope is this: Jesus Christ in us the hope of glory (Col. 1:27).

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Romans 8:31-32

Seeing the Forest through the Trees

Posted on by
1
RAWg10-130124-3503editb

Winter’s frosting

Sometimes at church I can’t see the forest (worship of God) for the trees (my mistakes). I feel and act like I am in the old covenant. In the Old Testament, worship had to be done perfect, or the sacrifice was worthless.

Sunday we gathered and the mistakes began to mount. A worship song was sung too high for me and I could not sing without squeaking. I had trouble handling the communion elements (I am clumsy with a little tremor). Someone’s cell phone buzzed. My mind frequently drifted, but Jesus, the New Covenant sacrifice, covered all the short comings, elevating all of us to perfection in worship allowing the Holy Spirit to move in a mighty way.

And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Luke 3:22

The worship was made perfect and acceptable to God, for in Jesus we are made holy and pleasing.

Sometimes

Posted on by
4
Icicle Ridge winter

Sometimes mountains hide

In everything I should say thank you to God.
But sometimes I slip and say, “Why did you let this happen?”

I can praise Jesus for all He has done for me.
But sometimes I get confused and say, “Why did You do this to me?”

He gives me everything,
But sometimes I get upset over nothing.

One day after all is said and done, I will bow and say,
“The LORD is good, His Love reaches to the heavens, His faithfulness to the skies.” (Psalm 36:5-6)

But my sometimes will be forgiven, forgotten, and be no more.